A suspect in the callous murder of a woman in an apartment in the Lavington area, Nairobi was in love with her.
Investigations show Hashim Dagane
Muhumed was in love with the murder victim Deka Abdinoor Gorone.
Hashim is also a prime suspect in the brutal murder of family members - a mother, daughter and 12-year-old niece – whose bodies were found dumped separately in Nairobi and Machakos.
The family of Deka says Hashim had twice approached her parents, asking for their hand in marriage but his proposals were rejected.
“He wanted to marry the woman but the family had rejected the
proposal,” said a family member.
In their culture, a man must approach a woman's
family for consent before marriage arrangements are formalised, in a process
known as "doonis".
Hashim was from Ethiopia while Deka comes from Wajir in
Kenya.
Deka was deeply in love with Hashim, and her
friends say she was heartbroken by her parents' refusal to approve the marriage
proposal.
Despite the disapproval, Deka continued to see Hashim, spending time with him even as her friends and family expressed concerns.
They reportedly warned her about Hashim, saying he was not a suitable partner, a member of the family added.
She remained committed
to him, often meeting him in private and at times sneaking out of their house
in Eastleigh to meet the man who would later kill her.
Deka was raised in Wajir and later moved
to Nairobi where she worked at a restaurant in Starehe's Ushirika area.
She was last seen on October 21, the same day the bodies of three Eastleigh women were found separately.
The incidents have sent fears among many in the area with
some being cautious on their friends.
The woman’s family grew worried when she did not return home and was absent from work.
When the news of the discovery of the three bodies broke out, the family thought she was among the victims.
They visited mortuaries to confirm that in vain. They continued to search for her.
The family suspected that she was with Hashim, as he was the person she spent time with.
On October 24, Deka's family reported her missing at the California Police Station.
Days later, the family's anxiety was temporarily relieved
when they received a voice note from Deka, saying she had left the country but
did not know where she was.
In the recording, according to police and the
family, she claimed to be safe.
Hashim also contacted one of his relatives in a separate
recording claiming he had been arrested and needed money.
When the relative asked about Deka's whereabouts he claimed she
had "migrated", suggesting she had left the country.
In the recording, Deka told her mother she was out of the
country and was travelling to an undisclosed location by bus.
In the message, Deka expressed her sorrow for not being able to care for her ailing mother, apologising for not providing the financial support her mother needed.
"If I had money, I would have treated you. I'm currently on a bus heading to a place I do not know," she said in the recording.
It is believed she did this under the instructions of Hashim.
Days later, according to the family, the woman’s mobile phone
activities were erratic as for instance would be offline, only coming online
occasionally to send voice messages.
It has emerged the person behind the whole drama was Hashim.
Deka's mobile phone and some body parts are still missing.
Hashim’s mobile phone, Deka's ID and several other items were recovered in ongoing investigations.
A second suspect was arrested in Eldoret over the murder of Deka.
Her body parts were found dumped at the Langata Cemetery
after it had been boiled.
It is believed the killer used a chemical in the
mission but the motive of the October 31 is yet to be known.
